Two firefighters lost their lives and a third remains hospitalized in critical condition after a gunman deliberately set a fire to draw first responders into an ambush on Canfield Mountain outside Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday afternoon.
The unidentified shooter was found dead with a firearm nearby on Sunday evening after authorities tracked a cell phone signal to his location, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris announced.
SWAT teams had to quickly remove the gunman’s body from the scene as the fire he allegedly started continued to spread across the mountainside.
The deadly trap began unfolding when the fire was first reported at approximately 1:21 p.m.
Firefighters arrived to conduct reconnaissance on the blaze, but around 2 p.m., they suddenly came under gunfire from the concealed shooter.
Two firefighters were killed immediately at the scene – one from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and another from Kootenai County Fire & Rescue.
A third firefighter was wounded in the attack and underwent surgery, where he is now fighting for his life but remains in stable condition.
Sheriff Norris confirmed authorities are investigating whether the gunman himself made the original 911 call reporting the fire in order to draw firefighters to the location.